Swinging gate



(No Model.)

H. B. BOOKOUT.

SWINGING GATE.

Patented Sept 22, 1885.

WI T N EEEEE:

5YQSXAKDM ATENT F I E HUGH B. BOOKOUT, OF LONGS MILLS, TENNESSEE.

SWINGING GATE.

DPECIFILOATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 326,620, dated September 22, 1885.

(No modelJ being had to the accompanying drawings, and

to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The invention belongs to the class of swinging gates, and its object is to construct a gate in such manner and provide it with such means situated at a proper distance on each side of the gate, that an approaching vehicle will open the gate, and after passing through close the same. The gate is also capable of being opened and closed in like manner by a person on horseback or a person with both hands engaged.

The invention consists in pivoting two levers by their centers to uprights situated at equal distances on each side of the hinged portion of the gate. The said levers each have a central upright, from the top of which runs a rope or wire having its inner end attached to the gate behind the hinge and also to a rope or wire controlling the spring-bolt of the same.

Each lever has attached to its outer arm, by-

ropes or wires, two presser-bars, by one of which the bolt is drawn and the gate opened, and by the other the latter is closed after the vehicle has passed, in a manner hereinafter more fully described.v

In the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification, Figure l is a perspective view of the gate and means of operating the same. Fig. 2 is a side View of the gate with the ropesor. wires attached both to it and to the latch or bolt, and Fig. 3 is a plan view of the improvement, a part of the gate being broken away.

In the accompanying drawings, A represents the gate turning between the uprights B and O, the former of which has 011 its inner surface a proper recess for the bolt a, which slides between the upper and middle rail of the gate,

and is forced outward by any proper spring, a, as shown.

a is the rear or inner upright beam of the gate-frame, and has fixed on each of its sides a staple, a", for a purpose hereinafter explained.

a is a vertical bar or beam forming part of the gate-frame, and situated somewhat to the front of the beam a. The bar a has its lower end pivoted orjournaled in a proper bearing fixed in the ground below the gate, and its upper end journaled in a horizontal extension, 0, from the top of the upright O, and thus forms the axis on which the gate turns.

The rear beam, a is properly weighted, as

shown, to counterbalance the part of the gate in front of the upright a, so that it will not drag.

D D are uprights fixed at equal distances from and on each side of the rear bar of the gate. and having their upper ends forked.

cl (1 are levers pivoted by their centers within the forked upper ends of the uprights D, and having rising vertically from their centers the arms cl d, upon the tops of which are fixed the staples d d", as shown. E E are ropes or wires, each of which is firmly'seeured by one end to one of staples d whence it runs behind the beam 0, to the opposite surface of the same, and is fixed to the upper end of a loop of rope, e, the lower end of which is secured to the staple a (In case of a wire, a wire link might be used and a proper pivot substituted for the loop e.) The rope E and loop 6 are both firmly secured at the upper end of the latter to the inner end of a rope or wire, 6, the outer end of which is similarly secured to the inner end of the bolt a, and acts against the spring a.

F F are short presserbars, each of which has its outer end furnished with a proper staplelinked to and turning freely on a staple, f, fixed securely at a proper point in the ground. The inner end of the presserbar is secured to the end of the outer arm of the lever d by means of a rope, f. The said rope is of such length that when the gate is entirely open in the direction opposite to the bar the latter will lie flat upon the ground. In all other positions of the gate the inner end of said bar will be raised as shown in Fig. 1. A proper weight is attached to the end' of the inner arm of the lever d to-counterbalance the weight of the bar F and keep the lever 61 horizontal when necessary.

G is a presser-bar about twice as long and extending twice as far outward as the bar F, and similarly secured to a staple, g.

g is a rope connecting the inner end of the bar G to the central part of the outer arm of the lever d. The said rope is of such length that when the gate is closed the presser-bar will lie fiat 011 the ground; but when the gate is opened toward the bar the inner end of the latter will be raised.

The bars F and G, on both sides of the gate, are situated at a sufficient distance therefrom to allow a wagon to pass entirely through the open gate before the front wheel of the wagon by pressing on the bar G closes the gate.

The operation of the invention is as follows: When the gate is closed, the inner ends of the bars F on both sides are raised, and both bars G lie flat on the ground. As a wagon approaches from either side the driver makes the inner front wheel pass over and depress the bar F on that side. The bar F, acting through the rope f, lever d, rope E, loop e, and rope e, first draws the bolt against the spring a, and then by its continued action fully opens the gate in the direction opposite to itself. The bar G takes no part in this action, as it lies flat. Both the levers F and G on the open side of the gate have now their inner ends raised, and when the Wagon is through the gate the driver directs the wheel over the lever G, but avoids F. The former only acts to bring the gate to the post B, when the spring drives home the bolt. The levers on both sides are now in their normal position, the ends of F F being raised, while G G lie flat on the ground.

If a person on horseback desires to pass the claim, and'desire to secure by Letters Patent,

1. The combination, with a swinging gate, as a means for operating the same,of apair of levers suitably mounted in standards, one on either side of the gate, intermediate connections between the gate and said levers, a pair of bars of unequal length connected with each operating-lever, the shorter bars being arranged to occupy an elevated or inclined position and the longer bars resting flat on the ground when the gate is in a closed position, substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. The combiuation, with a hinged gate provided with a latch, a, and a beam-extension, 0., arranged in rear of the hinge of such gate, of a lever located at one side of the gate, a cord secured at one end to said lever and carried thence around extension at and secured to its side farthest from the lever, the latch operated by said cord, a resser-bar, F, arranged approximately transversely of the roadway, and havingits inner end bearing thereon and its outer end connected with the lever, and a second presscr-bar, G, made longer than bar F, and arranged between such bar and the gate and having its outer end connected with the lever, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HUGH B. BOOKOUT. WVitnesses:

JAMES HIoKs, J OHN HICKS. 

